Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Announced: Specs, Features, Price, Release Date

After months of anticipation and hype, Samsung has officially taken the wraps off the Galaxy Note 5 today. The phablet has been in the news for quite a while before its launch and we’ve known several details about the device already. But that’s all in the past and today we get to take a look at what all the hype surrounding Samsung’s latest device was really about. So let’s start.

At its Unpacked event in New York today, Samsung was eager to show off a lot of devices. We’ve covered each of these separately, so head over to the links at the bottom of this post to find out more. The Galaxy Note 5 is here with us today and it comes with an all-metal design, and no Micro SD card slot as had been expected so far.

The device follows the Galaxy S6 range of handsets in overall design language, apart from some features of course, such as the S Pen being clickable so you can get it out of its holder much easily. Also, once you take the pen out of its holder, you can immediately start taking notes even if the device is off, and if it’s on, then interaction with the screen brings up an all new Air Command feature, that should allow you to place apps in easily accessible shortcuts.

A sleek metal design, combined with two color options give Samsung’s phablet a premium look that has often been found missing from the Korean manufacturer’s devices. On the left side of the Galaxy Note 5 we have the volume buttons and on its right side we see the power button. On the front we have the usual capacitive buttons for multitasking and going a page back, and as expected, a home button coupled with a fingerprint sensor.

On the bottom right of the Note 5 lives the S Pen, which we mentioned before, now features a spring loading mechanism for easier access than before. This is followed by two rows of the speaker grille and the USB connector port in the center, which sadly isn’t Type C. Finally we have the headphone jack on the bottom and all of this is topped up with the customary antenna bands. But before you get too disappointed on the Note 5’s data capabilities, the device comes with the faster, all new UFS 2.0 standard, but there’s no expandable storage, with the two storage options that the Note 5 will be available in being 32 and 64GB.

Coming towards camera specifications, the Galaxy Note 5 comes with a 16MP rear-facing camera with an aperture size of f/1.9, optical image stabilization and real-time HDR. Also, according to Samsung, the Galaxy Note 5’s camera will be able to live stream 1080p videos directly to YouTube, so there’s a nice little feature for aspiring vloggers out there.

The front camera of the device comes with a resolution of 5MP with an aperture of f/1.9. Expanded apertures for both the cameras should improve camera results, particularly those involving low light scenarios drastically.

The Galaxy Note 5 has a screen size of 5.7-inches and features Quad HD resolution; that’s 2K for those who know their tech lingo. It’s also Super AMOLED, so you can rest assured that your photos and videos will pop right out of the display.

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Now coming towards perhaps the most anticipated feature on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. While we heard several reports surface prior to today’s launch about the Exynos 7422, Samsung’s very own SiP for the Galaxy Note 5, looks like the Korean manufacturer isn’t quite ready to show us the Exynos 7422 just quite yet. But the current 14nm Exynos 7420 isn’t that bad either, and until we get to see upgrades from either Qualcomm or Samsung’s end, an upgraded 4GB of RAM on Samsung’s latest should prove very sufficient to even those with the most performance intensive needs.

Oh and the battery on the Note 5 isn’t what we’ve been expecting so far and the device will be coming with a battery capacity of 3,000mAh. Samsung has reduced the battery capacity on the Galaxy Note 5 but promises that you won’t feel the difference through fast charging. You’ll also be getting wireless fast charging on the Galaxy Note 5, so that’s another nice little upgrade from Samsung’s end.

The complete set of detailed tech specs of the Galaxy Note 5, as well as the Galaxy S6 Edge+ are as follows. Remember, we have a separate post for the S6 Edge+ so be sure to check that out as well.

You can start pre-ordering the Galaxy Note 5 starting today and the device will be available in the US starting August 21st. You can also expect the Note 5 to be available on almost all major US carriers, with price starting at $250 for the 32GB model and a hundred dollars more for the 64GB iteration. Samsung’s official website’s also displaying information about a 128 GB variant of the device, so we might be in for some good luck as well.

Thoughts on the Galaxy Note 5? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.